As the rate of opioid addiction continues to rise, there has been much debate regarding the idea of supervised clinics where addicts can safely inject illegal drugs.

Such clinics are already operational in Europe and Canada.

Benefits of supervised injection clinics include:

— Injections occur under sanitary conditions (not on the street)

— Trained staff will be on hand to prevent overdose

— Facilities will provide pathways to treatment

Critics worry the clinics will contribute to illegal drug use and addiction.

The Details

Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia launched a lawsuit this week hoping to block nonprofit Safehouse from opening the first injection clinic in the United States.

The lawsuit, which is supported by the Department of Justice, calls on US District Court Judge Gerald McHugh to make a decision on Safehouse’s plans before the company opens a facility.

“This is in-your-face illegal activity using some of the most deadly, dangerous drugs that are on the streets,” argues US attorney William McSwain. “These folks have good intentions and they’re trying their best to combat the opioid epidemic, but this step of opening an injection site crosses the line.”

The lawsuit considers supervised injection sites a violation of the “crack house statute,” a provision of the Controlled Substances Act that bans any facility used to make, store, distribute, or use illegal drugs.

“We’re not bringing a criminal case right now,” continues McSwain. “We’re not arresting anybody. We’re not asking to forfeit property…This can serve everyone’s interest, in order to find out what the court thinks of this. But this, in our view, is illegal.”

Opioid addiction kills about three people per day in Philadelphia, but convincing the courts that safe injection sites are the answer will be a tough sell for Safehouse.

“It is completely untested in terms of how federal law will apply to safe injection sites,” says drug policy specialist Alex Kreit. “People will be watching this very closely – particularly in other cities that have expressed their intention of starting a safe injection site.”

Common Sense

The Headline

New study links TV watching with young-onset colorectal cancer

The Grind

New research suggests that sitting on your butt for long periods of time can significantly increase your chances of developing young-onset colorectal cancer.

Young-onset colorectal cancer, which refers to colorectal cancer that is diagnosed before age 50, tends to be more aggressive and have poorer survival rates than colorectal cancer that is diagnosed after age 50.

The Details

After studying the effects of TV watching on women, Dr. Yin Cao and his team determined:

— Watching TV for 1+ hours each day increases your risk of developing young-onset colorectal cancer by as much as 12%

— Watching TV for 2+ hours each day increases your risk by as much as 70%

The effects were independent of BMI, smoking, and exercise habits – meaning that even healthy people who spend time in front of the TV are at risk.